Pharmacology of novel psychoactive substances
edoc (University of Basel) January 1, 2016 Anna Rickli 1 citation
Dopamine release does not appear to contribute to the mood-elevating effects of MDMA (ecstasy) in healthy people. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study with 16 participants, blocking dopamine release with bupropion did not reduce MDMA's subjective effects but instead prolonged them, while reducing MDMA-induced increases in norepinephrine and heart rate. This suggests norepinephrine, not dopamine, mediates MDMA's cardiostimulant effects, with serotonin and norepinephrine likely driving its psychotropic effects. The work also characterized the pharmacological profiles of many novel psychoactive substances, finding that para-halogenated amphetamines are more serotonergic than their non-halogenated counterparts, pyrovalerone cathinones are potent dopamine transporter inhibitors with high abuse potential, and NBOMe derivatives show high 5-HT2A receptor affinity and selectivity, indicating strong hallucinogenic potential.